This disclosure relates generally to flow stability enhancement devices for turbomachines. More particularly, this disclosure relates to controlling operation of the flow stability enhancement devices.
Air typically moves into a turbomachine through a nacelle. The air passes through a fan section of the turbomachine and is then compressed and combusted. The products of the combustion are expanded to rotatably drive a turbine section of the turbomachine.
As known, the turbomachine can become damaged if air moving into the turbomachine is unstable and has a substantially uneven air pressure distribution. The fan section is particularly prone to such damage. Accordingly, the nacelles of many turbomachines have a geometry that stabilizes and smoothes uneven air pressure distributions. Such nacelles are designed to passively influence air pressure distributions. That is, the geometry of the nacelle achieves the desired distortion of air to provide the turbomachine with a more uniform flow.
Some turbomachine designs, however, include nacelles having a geometry that ineffectively stabilizes and smoothes uneven air pressure distributions. A flow stability enhancement device is often added to such nacelles. In these designs, the flow stability enhancement device helps stabilize and smooth uneven air pressure distributions rather than relying exclusively on the geometry of the nacelle.
Boundary layer blowing devices and boundary layer suction devices are example flow stability enhancement devices. Boundary layer blowing devices require a supply of compressed air. Boundary layer suction devices require a vacuum pump. Operating such devices affects the efficiency of the turbomachine.